Protesters decry immigrant ‘amnesty’ at rally in San Bernardino

Tressy Capps, of Fontana, stands outside the General Consulate of Mexico to represent the National Day of Protesting Against Immigration Reform Amnesty & Border Surge on Friday, July 18, 2014 in San Bernardino, Ca. (Micah Escamilla/San Bernardino Sun)

A small group gathers outside the General Consulate of Mexico to represent the National Day of Protesting Against Immigration Reform Amnesty & Border Surge on Friday, July 18, 2014 in San Bernardino, Ca. (Micah Escamilla/San Bernardino Sun)

SAN BERNARDINO >> A national day of immigration protests drew 15 people to the Mexican Consulate on Friday to call for a stricter immigration policy and an end to the amnesty that they see as current policy.

“Go home!” some yelled, while others held signs with messages such as “key word: ILLEGAL” or held American flags.

Organizers said they expect more attendance today, the second day of protests at what the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC says are 300 locations. Locally, that includes the same location — the corner of D and Third Streets in San Bernardino — beginning at 5 p.m., as well as in Hesperia and Murrieta.

The buses of unaccompanied minors who came illegally from mostly Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to U.S. facilities including Murrieta were an instigation of the protest, but not its only message,

“We chose this location because Mexico isn’t doing its part to stem the flow through their country — or of their own people,” said organizer Jacque Redford of San Bernardino. “I do think we should help the children, but we can’t have amnesty.”

A better way to help might be foreign aid to those countries, she said.

Public perception was roughly split, at least based on the proportion of cars that honked their cars versus shouting disagreement or in one case stopping to loudly play mariachi music for about 45 seconds.

Passerby Bladimir Mendoza-Estrada, 18, of Colton said his parents brought him from Mexico when he was 3 and the “anti-immigrant” message struck him as hypocritical.

“All of them are immigrants or the descendents of immigrants, too,” he said. “All I want is to fulfill the American dream. I feel I have to after all my parents did.”

“Sure, my grandparents came here from another country, and that’s what makes America great,” Stewart said. “The point is they did it by the rules. If you don’t have the rules, the border is open to terrorists or whoever else.”